They left Toronto at night. Chris arranged a private flight. Elliot, two of Chris's closest men, and a small, careful team flew with them. Bella sat quiet, holding Jessy close. Vera stared out the window, tired but watchful.
On the plane, Chris did not sleep. He watched Bella and Jessy for a long time, then turned his face away and whispered into his phone. Orders. Moves. Questions. He was always working, even when he seemed still.
When they landed in London, the sky was grey and cold. Chris's car waited. The ride back was quiet. Bella watched rain run down the window and thought of the night she ran. Of Isabel. Of the men who took her. She felt thin and raw.
At Romero, Chris walked them into a small, safe suite he kept for emergencies. Elliot locked the door and set up cameras. The place was quiet, clean, and guarded. For the first time in weeks, Bella slept on a bed without fear. Jessy slept in the crib beside her.
Chris spoke with his men, low and sharp. "Clinton moved fast," he said. "Find every person who dealt with the kidnapping. I want names, places, every transfer. No mistakes."
Elliot nodded. "Clinton works for your mother, sir. He answers to her." His words were calm, but the weight of them hit Chris hard.
Chris closed his eyes. "Of course he does." He said it like the world had turned gray. He felt anger, but it was steady now focused. He had expected problems from his family, but hearing Clinton's name tied to Cassandra made it all real.
That evening, Chris called a single meeting. Only his inner circle came: Elliot, Kelvin, Justin. He gave them a simple order. "Make the house safe. No one gets in. Make sure Clinton's people know they're watched. And find Lilian's payers. Quietly. I want names, papers, bank transfers. Then we will strike."
They moved like shadow men. Guards changed posts. Phones were traced. Messages were sent and deleted. The house thrummed with quiet work.
Bella slept badly that night. She woke at every noise. Jessy slept against her, trusting and small. Vera did not sleep at all. She sat by the crib, clutching two hands, watching the baby breathe. She had lost one child before, she had been fought then and she would not lose this one.
Chris watched them both from the hallway. He felt tired and full of bitter promises. He would find the truth. He would bring the people who hurt Bella to light. He would do it quietly and he would do it without mercy.
But for now, he would keep the house safe, keep the baby fed and warm, and he could no longer wait for the the wedding when lies and games would come undone on stage. They were targeting the people he loved.
The news hit the Hampson estate like fire in dry grass. Clinton's men had been captured and interrogated. The reports Elliot placed on Chris's desk were clear, undeniable, merciless. Every road, every order, every cent of funding led back to Cassandra Hampson.
Chris didn't wait. He went straight to the mansion.
Cassandra sat in the sunroom, a glass of wine in her hand, her diamond earrings glittering in the light. She looked calm, untouched, as if she hadn't tried to murder her own grandchild.
Chris walked in, eyes cold. Behind him, Frederick entered, already tense.
Chris dropped the papers on the table. His voice was low, almost a growl.
"You almost stained your hands with my son's blood. You sent Clinton to kidnap Bella and Jessy. You ordered them killed."
Cassandra's face stiffened for a fraction of a second before she recovered. "I did what I had to do. That girl is poison, and so is the bastard child she carries. I was protecting this family's name."
"Protecting?" Frederick's voice cracked like a whip. His fist slammed the table so hard the glass rattled. "You tried to kill my grandchild. My flesh. My blood! Cassandra, do you hear yourself?"
For once, Cassandra flinched at his roar.
Chris stepped closer, his jaw tight, his fists trembling. "You've always meddled. Always controlled. But this?" His eyes burned. "You tried to take away my child. You tried to kill Bella. Do you know what that makes you?"
Cassandra lifted her chin, defiant. "It makes me a mother who knows what's best."
"No," Frederick spat. "It makes you a monster and a coward."
The words rang in the air like thunder.
Hailey and Imelda arrived not long after, rushing into the room after hearing what Cassandra did. Imelda's face was pale, tears pooling in her eyes. Hailey looked stricken, her voice trembling.
"Mother... how could you?" Imelda whispered. "He's your grandson. My nephew."
"You've lost yourself, Mum," Hailey said bitterly. "Power, pride, reputation...it's all you see. But we are your children, and now you've crossed the line no mother should ever cross."
Cassandra tried to speak, but her daughters stepped back as if her words were poison.
Chris's voice cut through the silence. Cold. Final.
"You're no longer my mother, I made that very clear eight months ago but I'm tell you again in case you've forgotten."
Cassandra's eyes widened, shock breaking her calm mask.
"I want you to stay far away from my life," Chris continued. "From my child. From everything. You don't deserve the name Hampson. From today, you're nothing to me."
Frederick's face was like stone. His voice shook with anger. "I should cast you out myself. You tried to kill our blood. I won't forgive that. Leave this house, Cassandra. Pack your things. You are finished here."
For the first time in years, Cassandra looked powerless. Her lips trembled, but no one in that room looked at her with love. Not her husband. Not her son. Not her daughters.
She stood slowly, dignity in shreds, and walked away.
At Romero, Bella sat quietly while Jessy napped. Her fingers traced the edge of her phone. Memories of Alexis's warnings echoed in her mind, every doubt she had ignored about Lilian. The fake smiles, the whispered comments, the jealousy she never wanted to believe.
"Alexis was right," Bella whispered. "She warned me, and I didn't listen."
Her chest ached with guilt.
Later that evening, Bella made the call she had been avoiding for months. Bianca answered on the second ring, her voice sharp. "So you finally remembered me?"
Tears filled Bella's eyes. "I'm sorry, B. I'm so sorry I left when you needed me. I was drowning, and instead of holding on to you, I ran."
There was silence, then Bianca's breath hitched. "Do you know how many nights I cried, Bella? How much I hated you for leaving me?"
"I know," Bella whispered. "And you have every right. But please... forgive me. I need my best friend. Jessy needs his auntie."
Bianca's voice broke. "Jessy?"
"My son." Bella smiled through tears. "He's beautiful, B. He's everything. And I want you to meet him."
"You had a son and didn't tell me?" Bianca asked shocked.
"I didn't know I was pregnant till I was in the labour room" Bella explained
"You must have been scared" Bianca said
"I still am but could you please forgive me?" Bella added
On the other end, Bianca wept. "You idiot. You could vanish for ten years and I'd still forgive you. You're my sister."
Bella sobbed, her heart finally lighter, the wall of loneliness beginning to crack.
That night, while Bella rocked Jessy to sleep, Chris stood at the window. He had cut his mother out. His father had chosen blood over pride. His sisters had seen the truth. And Bella was beginning to rebuild the ties she thought she had lost.
The war wasn't over. Thelma, Lilian, the Fredericks they were still out there. But Chris's voice was steady as he whispered to himself:
"They will never touch my family again."